Mission Asset Fund

Working with TriNet allows us to set a standard of expectation for who we are. Being able to demonstrate that we can offer competitive benefit packages in a way that is still manageable and cost-effective for the organization is important."

Creating financial security

Mission Asset Fund (MAF) was founded in 2007 in San Francisco with the goal of building financial security for low-income families in the Mission District. With the support of Levi Strauss Foundation and several community leaders, MAF facilitated a first-of-its-kind zero-interest lending program called Lending Circles, which helps hardworking people avoid predatory lenders and build their credit.

MAF founder and CEO José Quiñonez explains that "We have a community-centered approach to financial security and social change. So, everything we do is about putting our community front and center. It's about recognizing that our clients are the ones that inspire us and guide us and how we show up to help them build and improve their financial security."

Today, Mission Asset Fund serves the entire Bay Area, as well as communities across the nation, with over 50 partners in 17 states. MAF has served more than 90,000 clients with credit building products, including immigration loans, emergency grants, and financial self-advocacy training to ensure families materially improve their financial lives.

Seeking technology-first HR support

Before working with TriNet, Mission Asset Fund leveraged a different nonprofit as their fiscal agent. Within a few years, they were juggling HR tasks on their own with a combination of low-cost tools, including a basic payroll company, but found that their systems weren’t sufficient as they started growing. And with dozens of other nonprofits in the area, and the tech scene to compete with, working with an experienced partner that could offer access to better benefits made choosing TriNet easy.

While their team focused on serving their clients and communities, Quiñonez knew that having TriNet manage HR processes and needs "allow our people to focus on the actual work of engaging clients and innovation – our bread and butter. We would have to hire two or three people to manage all those processes, and it just doesn't make any sense for us.”

With support from TriNet, Mission Asset Fund finds managing their everyday HR responsibilities much easier. “TriNet has helped with many aspects of our HR needs, from hiring and training staff to providing a platform that is easy to use and navigate.” And, with a team of digital natives offering support through technology driven solutions, having a platform like TriNet’s, which aligns with the MAF culture and mission of usable, innovative solutions, is key.

TriNet continues to support the MAF team by helping them with the onboarding process for MAF employees hired across the country. In providing multi-state HR compliance guidance and with the existing onboarding infrastructure, TriNet provides the HR assistance to help businesses navigate varying state HR compliance and payroll tax requirements. “Hiring somebody on our own, especially elsewhere in the United States, would have taken weeks to figure out. But instead, TriNet already knows how to handle that process, what paperwork we need, etc. And that means we can hire somebody quickly, get them set up and paid correctly and be compliant. Which again, allows us to focus on the work that needs to happen.”

We have to constantly be in tune with what is happening in the communities we serve, which requires a lot of flexibility to respond. TriNet allows us to have the space and freedom to be innovative while still providing important HR structure, which is crucial to our success."

Comprehensive benefits that align with their mission

Quiñonez emphasizes the need to “provide a good benefits package to attract the best talent and to be able to compete. We're always competing with other tech providers and non-profits, and we needed to offer access to similar benefits packages because that's important to our staff."

In addition to offering their employees competitive benefits, Mission Asset Fund also offers the TriNet 401(k) plan to their team, reinforcing their mission to build financial security in their community.

Plus, having direct access to HR experts who can help answer HR questions that arise is especially helpful with a growing team and network.

The pandemic brought challenges for Mission Asset Fund, as they worked to support the many organizations using their model with emergency grants, while continuing to support their local community in San Francisco. In order to support the community, they needed to scale, and quickly. TriNet provided the support they needed to increase their staff capacity across the country, with established systems and technology to hire, onboard, train, and deploy, all while working remotely. In turn, Mission Asset Fund was able to accept and distribute new funding to people in need during a critical time.

Freedom to innovate and serve

Looking to the future, Mission Asset Fund is maintaining a deep focus on the people they serve, with a community-centered approach to financial security. As the world and their communities’ needs change, continuous innovation in how they show up and serve is key.

The freedom to be flexible and focused on their mission is important, and TriNet provides Mission Asset Fund with the access to benefits, technology, and HR support they need to be competitive and succeed.